Was Lincoln A Racist Or An Emancipator?

An emancipator is defined as an individual who frees another person, or many people, from liberation. A racist is defined as an individual who believes a racial group is inferior to their own race or other races. Lincoln is a racist because he believed the white race would always be superior to the black race. Lincoln also believed the two races would never be socially or politically equal. From the beginning, Lincoln never believed there should be perfect equality between the white and black races. Lincoln was against the idea of black people being allowed to vote or become a juror like white men were able to. Lincoln believed there was a major physical difference between the white race and the black race that would forbid the two races from living together on equal social and political terms forever. Lincoln was opposed to interracial marriage, as well as to black men holding office. During the fourth debate with Stephen Douglas on September 18th, 1858, Lincoln stated: “...there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white man.”

Even though Lincoln was anti-slavery, he continuously pushed off emancipating slaves until it was politically necessary. Lincoln’s General, Fremont, attempted to use military power to emancipate the slaves multiple times, however, Lincoln forbid him to do so because he did not believe it was necessary. In 1862, Lincoln made an offer to the border states of compensated emancipation. Lincoln acknowledged that the enslaved blacks in the border states were their property, and he offered to give them money if they gave up their property. The compensated emancipation shows Lincoln is a racist because he is still viewing blacks as